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Ushahidi on a mobile phone: By Flickr user whiteafricanWith a push of the "send" button, millions of Americans, many for the first time, used their cell phones and mobile networks to make a direct impact by donating $10 to the Red Cross for earthquake relief in Haiti. But this concept is not new and many nonprofits around the world have been leveraging the power of mobile networks and devices to organize campaigns and efforts on all scales.

Related Story: Digital giving: New Technology Transforms How People Donate

Rev. Rob Hardies signs the marriage certificate for Terrance Heath (left) and Richard Imirowicz, officially making them one of the first same-sex couples to be married in the history of Washington, D.C.: Photo by William W. CummingsFor such a controversial couple, Terrance Heath and Richard Imirowicz are surprisingly ordinary.

Yet, many Americans consider this ordinary couple   a threat to the country's moral foundation because Heath and Imirowicz were among the first same-sex couples to get married in Washington, D.C., last month.

Wealth of women: Photo by Flickr user xadrian.

Despite the educational and professional gains of single African-American women since slavery, they have only a fraction of a penny for every dollar of wealth owned by single white women.

Medical marijuana at Venice Beach, Calif.: A medical marijuana proponent advocates for his cause at Venice Beach, Calif. Lawmakers in Washington, D.C., are looking at legislation from across the country to learn lessons about what was successful and what to avoid. photo by Kristen Becker

Twelve years after the initial law was approved by voters in Washington, D.C., the D.C. City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to pass a bill that would authorize the use of marijuana for medical purposes.

"I am pleased by the council's vote today," David Catania, I-At Large, said in a press release after the vote. "I believe this legislation will give residents with qualifying chronic conditions access to medical benefits of marijuana, but will also guard against its misuse."

Home restaurant: The meal is served family style. Diners pass potato and onion bhajia. Photos by Jackie Turner

A man in a white shirt opens the door at the first knock.
“Password?” he asks.
This is obviously not your normal dinner party.

Mervis Diamond Importers' first same-sex line of wedding rings: Photo by Juan PawiroredjoThe debate over same-sex marriage has always focused on issues of religion, justice and morality, but voters in states that have rejected same-sex marriage may start rethinking their position in the years ahead because of a less lofty consideration — profit.

E-waste: More than 112,000 computers and
laptops are thrown out every day

If you live in America and are over 18, chances are you have an older computer sitting unused somewhere. In fact, the chances are not just good– they are overwhelming.

Guadalupe builds a new Web
site for Dar-us-Salaam's karate program. Photo by Justin Cox.

A catholic man's 9/11 experience inspires an unlikely change in faith.

Net neutrality has been called many things, from “a solution in search of a problem” to “vital for the functioning of democracy,” but a quick Google trends search (pictured) shows that the matter still takes a back seat in the public’s eye when compared to other issues du jour, such as climate change, censorship, privacy and even the role of the federal reserve bank.

Despite a mostly uninterested (or uninitiated) public, paid and pro bono proponents for and against neutrality have been extremely vocal in their concerns, objections, and support of neutrality mandates.

But just what is it that gets these policy geeks and techno-wonks so fired up?

An anti-purple line sign near the intersection of Wayne Ave. and Dale Dr. Some are concerned about the effects the station here would have on the neighborhood: Photo by Kristin McGrath

SILVER SPRING, Md. - Lisa Goldberg, a Silver Spring resident, commutes to Rockville, Md., for work. Although she calls herself a “big advocate of public transportation,” she makes the 13-mile trip by car. Traveling by Metro would require a 50-minute journey on the Red Line or an hour-long bus trip with a transfer.

Goldberg hopes the Purple Line, the light rail system proposed by the state of Maryland that would connect the spokes of the Red Line at Silver Spring and Bethesda, is the answer.